Wilson retires after 16 seasons

Press, 29 October 1982, Page 30

Wilson retires after 16 seasons

By

JOHN COFFEY

Wayne Wilson yesterday announced his retirement from senior cricket. His sporting lifestyle will also undergo another dramatic change when he switches from medium-paced to spin bowling in his self-imposed relegation to the Lancaster Park second XI. After 16 seasons and 160 matches, Wilson has decided to make way for younger clubmates. He said that he had not been happy with his recent form. “I bowled shockingly on the first day and started asking myself whether I was getting too old. The next Saturday I was praying for rain, thought I would try one more game and had no penetration against Old Collegians,” said Wilson. Old Collegians reached a total of 353 for five, causing the self-effacing Wilson to recall his senior debut in 1967. On that occasion WestUniversity scored 361 for one, although the records reveal that Wilson was more economical than his teammates, Gary Walklin, Bruce Irving, Roy Gearry and Don McKendry. The youthful Wilson retained his place and has missed very few matches during his career. “1 guess I

would like to forget my first and last appearances — some of those in the middle were not too bad,” he said. Wilson was very much understating the case. Lancaster Park won five championships and a host of limited-overs competitions, with Wilson seldom failing to make a notable contribution. His left arm delivered 21,666 balls at opposing senior batsmen with such effect that he retires with an analysis of 459 wickets at 18.24. On 13 occasions he had five or more wickets in an innings and there were three half-centuries among the many useful runs accumulated by Wilson. The summer of 1980-81 was particularly memorable for him. He topped the senior bowling aggregates with 57 wickets at a fraction over 10 runs each, had his highest score — 76 against St Albans — and his club regained the title.

But Wilson has warmer memories of 1971-72, when Park was Canterbury’s champion for the first time in 10’ years. "We had been down near the bottom for some seasons, Maurice Ryan took the side over, Richard Hadlee was with us, and we eventually won the competition at 6.20 p.m. on the last day,” said Wilson.

Now 36 years of age, Wilson was an irregular selection for Canterbury B for a decade. Curiously, it has been only in the last two years that he has found a place in the Shell Series squad.

But Wilson was not without a representative triumph. Before joining Park, he had four senior seasons with the Kaiapoi first XI and had a significant role in North Canterbury’s Hawke Cup victory over Manawatu in 1966-67. Wilson took three wickets in each innings of the cup challenge. Nelson relieved North Canterbury of the cup in the next game, but Wilson had Laurie Reade, Graeme Lowans, lan Leggat and Ken Wadsworth among his five wickets.

Quite quick in those days, Wilson developed his technique and skills in part in Sunday matches on the matt-ing-over-concrete pitch at Pines Beach. The retirement of Wilson — though he will still be available for limited-overs competitions — has compounded Park’s seam bowling- problems. The logical replacement, Mark Chamberlain, has a shoulder injury and Dave Henry has been promoted for the game against East-Shirley at Burwood Park tomorrow.